Falling
by sookieandsamfan
Summary: Description: Poe and Rey SLOWLY (don't get mad) start to fall in love; it takes time, but it's worth it – I promise. #damerey #firstkiss #slowburn
1. Chapter 1

Description: Poe and Rey SLOWLY (don't get mad) start to fall in love; it takes time, but it's worth it – I promise. #damerey #firstkiss #slowburn

The first time he met her, really met her, he had butterflies in his stomach. He had seen her before very briefly in the aftermath of her first battle with Kylo Ren, but everything happened so fast, and before he had properly introduced himself, she was off on the hunt for Luke.

He scanned the room taking note of who was left in The Resistance. It had been a long, hard day. They were small in number but large in heart and will power, and he felt good about their chances, especially with Rey on their side.

When she lifted those rocks and freed them, leading them to safety, he thought he felt his heart skip a beat – but whose wouldn't given the circumstances? Now, his eyes landed on her as she crouched down to chat with BB-8. He had heard lots of things about Rey from his droid friend – and Finn, of course. They had both spoken of her kindness and strength. He didn't recall them focusing on her beauty, something he was having a hard time ignoring at the moment.

"Hi," he said approaching her smiling.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'm Poe," he said sticking out his hand. "Rey," she responded clasping his hand into a firm shake.

"I know," he said with grin. She blushed a bit and smiled widely. Moments later someone else came up to introduce themselves. She had her own little fan club dying to meet her.

Poe chalked up the way his skin burned from her touch and the way he couldn't forget the way her warm eyes looked at him to hero worship. Like everyone else, he owed her his life. That must be the reason his stomach was doing flip-flops.

As the days went by and plans were made and they began to settle in to the place they would call home at least for the time being, he continued to believe that his hyperawareness of Rey was merely circumstantial. There were not very many of them left, so they had to spend a lot of time together, and the reason his eyes focused on her during every meeting was because she always had something promising to add to the conversation. Not to mention, his buddy Finn was preoccupied making sure Rose was healing, so Rey needed him as friend right now too. That's the reason he sought her out as a dining partner in the mess hall.

Several weeks into their friendship, Poe began to wonder if thinking about Rey the first moment he woke up really meant anything. Of course, he would wonder where she was and what she was doing all the time, right? She was so important to them all. He could almost rationalize those things away. It was harder to come up with a reason that she had started creeping into his dreams. It was wrong he told himself. Despite Finn's relationship with Rose, he knew his best friend had feelings for Rey. Not to mention he was quite a bit older than her. Plus, they had bigger things to worry about right now, like staying alive.

Poe continued to fight his feelings until one day they slapped him in the face so hard he was pretty sure there was no turning back. He had woken up super early and was making his way from his room to the mess hall for breakfast. He passed right through the hangar to do so and took a moment to stop and stare at the Millennium Falcon. It was maybe the 100th time he'd done so in the past few weeks. He had grown up on stories about this legendary ship and the people associated with it. To see it in person was satisfying to say the least.

He was so caught up he didn't notice Rey walk up beside him.

"Morning," she said cheerfully.

 _Where did she come from_ he thought to himself. He was pretty sure her assigned room was clear on the other side of the base. It was so early – she must have gotten up even earlier than him and been working on something on the ship.

"Morning," he finally replied laughing like he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be.

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry," she said.

"No," Poe quickly said back. "I was lost in thought – admiring the Falcon," he admitted. "I've loved this ship since I was a child. To be in its presence is … special," he found the words to say.

Rey was touched by his thoughtfulness and honesty. She hadn't thought about the fact that someone like Poe grew up on the same legends she had.

"Would you like to come inside?" Rey asked. Poe's eyes grew wide. "Really?" he said in a disbelieving tone. He had been on the Falcon during their escape, but it was so quick, and they were in danger of dying, so he hadn't really gotten to enjoy it.

"Of course," Rey laughed smiling. "All friends are welcome on the Falcon."

Poe was so honored that Rey, now the captain of the Falcon, had invited him to take a closer look. "I would love that," he managed to say recomposing himself. "Well, come on," she said.

Poe followed her inside. It was so nice to be in there under non-life-threatening circumstances. "Wow," Poe whispered looking around the cockpit. It was just as he had imagined. Old but amazing. "May I?" Poe asked nodding at the pilot's seat. Rey smiled widely. "Please," she said gesturing her hand toward the seat. Poe sat down in reverence. Han Solo had sat here. Rey had sat here. Two heroes he admired from the depth of his existence. After about two minutes he forced himself to get up and hung on her every word as she gave him a tour of the ship.

As they got an area in the back, Poe noticed what looked to him to be bed. Several blankets were crumpled up in to a make-shift pillow with another blanket that looked like it was being used to both lie on and cover up with.

"Do you sleep here?" Poe asked before he could stop himself. That would explain why she appeared so suddenly. Had she come from inside the Falcon. As his eyes met hers, she looked down, and he could tell she was embarrassed.

"Sometimes," she responded quietly and looked back at him. "General Organa assigned me a perfectly nice room, but I don't really have anything to put in there, so it feels a little empty. Lonely," she admitted surprising herself. _Why was she telling him this?_ She didn't know why, but she felt like she could open up to Poe. She trusted him. She and Finn were still best friends, but she knew their relationship had changed. He was focused on Rose right now, and she hadn't really had anyone to talk to. She continued despite the warning bells going off in her head. "I have trouble sleeping anyway, so I come here and tinker around, and then when I finally get tired enough to sleep, I just crash here most nights."

Poe blinked a few times. The vulnerability she just shared was not lost on him. She had opened up on a deeply personal level when she didn't have to. And something about the story broke his heart. She was lonely. She had trouble sleeping. He had been so busy worshipping her that he had failed to consider that she was a real person – a really amazing person – but real nonetheless. And, she needed help just like the rest of them. Poe tried to think about what was right to say. He had nothing. She had wrecked him in that moment. Finally, he smiled softly and said, "I would never want to leave either." He knew it was the perfect thing to say when Rey smiled. Rey finished showing him around, and then they went to breakfast together.

It was time to face facts. Poe had been wondering about and explaining away his feelings for Rey unsuccessfully. His encounter with her on the Falcon had changed them both. They found themselves spending lots more time together, and though still strictly friends, Poe could feel the tension in the air between them. Their relationship was not romantic, but it certainly wasn't quite platonic either. He was pretty sure it wasn't just on his end, but he still had no idea what to do with that. They both stared too long. When their hands brushed while they were working on a ship, he could sense them both tense up. They were dancing around their feelings. But why? They were both worried about how Finn might react, plus it just seemed like the wrong time to explore a relationship.

Poe continued to tell himself that he could keep his feelings for Rey at bay – that was until the night everything changed. He was walking through the hangar on the way to his room from the mess hall when he saw Rey standing outside the Falcon talking to someone. Only no one was there. As he got closer, he could hear her crying and speaking.

"You will not win. You will never win," he heard her saying through clenched teeth. Then she screamed – "No don't," and dropped to her knees sobbing. Poe rushed to her crouching down beside her.

"Rey," he said gently placing his hand lightly on her shoulder. She looked at him blinking a few times before registering his face. "Poe," she finally breathed and then immediately threw her arms around him. She embraced him as if her life depended on it, and he immediately closed his arms around her and held her close letting her know he was there for her. The feeling of her in his arms was so natural, and he could tell she felt safe with him. It was knowledge that made his stomach do those darn flip-flops again. He quickly pushed that aside as he was so worried about her. When her grip loosened a touch, he took the opportunity to pull back cupping her face in his hands and wiping away some of the tears with his thumbs. "What's wrong?" he asked gently. By this time a few people making their way back to their own rooms had stopped to stare. As Rey noticed their eyes, she said, "Not here," quietly. Poe nodded in understanding. "Falcon?" he asked. "No," she said starting to stand up, and he helped her, "Chewie is on there." "My room is just over here," Poe said pointing. Rey nodded and let him put his hand on the small of her back and guide her there.

He opened the door and urged her inside closing the door behind them. He was glad at that moment that BB-8 had decided to sleep in the Droid Bay with his new friend R2. He loved that little guy, but he wanted to be alone with Rey. Rey looked around Poe's room. It was similar in size to her own room – a double cot bed with some shelves, a table and chair, and a small bathroom, but Poe's room was full of life. His shelves were filled with trinkets, and his clothes were thrown everywhere. It was a mess, and she loved it. "Sorry," he said embarrassed as he started picking up some of the clothes. "Don't be," Rey said smiling. "A room should be lived in." Poe smiled back tossing the few items he had picked up into the corner. "I'll get you a glass of water," he said excusing himself to the small bathroom. "Make yourself comfortable." Rey looked around finally deciding to sit on the edge of the bed. She absent-mindedly ran her hand over the blanket. When Poe returned, he handed her a small glass of water and sat beside her on the bed. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. Rey nodded her head, took a sip of water and placed the glass on the table, which was within reach in the small room and started talking before she could stop herself. She hadn't shared what she was about to say with anyone, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. Plus, she trusted Poe.

"I'm mind-melded to Kylo Ren," Rey started slowly looking at the floor. Poe's eyes grew wide, but he didn't say anything, so she continued. "Snoke did it somehow while I was visiting Luke. I was stupid enough to think I could help him, but in the end, he only wanted to use me to kill Snoke and take over. He wanted me to stay with him, but when I refused, he turned on me immediately. I figured our bond was severed, but it wasn't. I try to keep him out of my head, but I can't always. Tonight, he came to me to let me know that he was rounding up anyone suspected of Jedi powers and killing them. He had a little boy with him, maybe about 10. He slit is throat in front of me. That's when you found me."

Rey paused. By now she had tears rolling down her face. Poe couldn't help but reach over and gently squeeze her hand. "I'm so sorry, Rey," he managed. He knew she was opening up to him, and he wanted nothing more than to help her. She looked him right in the eyes now, and Poe's heart broke into a thousand pieces. "I know we can beat him, but we can't do it without losing people," she started. "I try to keep him out of my head," she repeated, "but it's getting harder. I can't do it when I'm tired, and I can't sleep." With that, Poe could no longer help himself. He gathered her in his arms. She immediately leaned into him and let him comfort her. It felt so good to be close to someone who just wanted to help her. She hadn't experienced a lot of positive human contact in her life. As he gently ran his hand up and down her back, he finally said, "Is there anything else that's a common factor to when he comes to you?" he asked. Rey pulled back looking into his eyes again. It was so thoughtful he was trying to help. "Well," Rey said thinking. "I'm always alone when it happens," she finally said. "I think that's why I can't sleep. That's when it often happens, but not the case tonight, obviously."

Poe smiled widely excited that he could help her. "Well," he said. "I can help with both those things. Stay here tonight. You won't be alone – you can take the bed; I'll sleep on the floor."

Rey smiled but shook her head. "No, no. I couldn't impose." Poe looked at her sternly. "You aren't, and if you don't stay, I'll just worry about you all night and not get any sleep. You don't want that on your conscious, do you?" He smiled that charming smile that could stop anyone in their tracks. "Well, no," she said. "Then it's settled." Before Rey could say anything else, Poe had hopped up and went about making a palette for himself on the floor out of an extra blanket and some of his clothes. Meantime Rey looked down at what she was wearing. She usually slept in it because she didn't have many clothes, but she had managed to find a couple of long-sleeved sweaters she usually put on over top because it got super cold at night. She was contemplating whether she could get to her room and back without others seeing her and drawing suspicion when Poe seemingly read her mind. "This is clean, I promise," he said plopping a thick long-sleeved t-shirt on her lap. "It gets cold in here at night." "Thanks," she said smiling and slipping it on over her own clothing. It smelled like him, which she loved, and she made a mental note to figure out a way to keep it.

Rey knew it was getting late and didn't know how else to help Poe, so she said, "I'm just going to use your bathroom." "Sure," he said smiling and continued to arrange his room. By the time she returned, he had turned down his own bed and made a pretty comfortable looking sleeping area on the floor. "I'll be right back," he said passing her in the small room to go into the bathroom. "Make yourself comfortable," he said for the second time that night. Rey nodded. She considered taking the floor while Poe was in the bathroom, but she knew he wouldn't go for that, so she reluctantly climbed into his bed. She immediately felt safe and warm knowing he would be near her. When he emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, he has shed his own day clothes and put on a shirt similar to the one he had loaned her and a pair of sleep pants. He placed his folded clothes on the table and clicked off the light in the bathroom. The only light left on now was a small lamp on a tiny bedside table next to Rey. Poe stopped at the bed on the way to his spot on the floor and bent down beside her. "Goodnight," he said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she resisted the urge to lean into his hand. It was a moment she didn't want to end. "Goodnight," she said back smiling and then added. "Thank you, Poe." "Anytime," he said and before he could stop himself leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She was glad that he simultaneously clicked off the lamp so he wouldn't see her blushing. She heard him rustle and get settled in his make-shift bed and not soon after could tell his breathing had turned heavy and he was asleep. She went to sleep herself not fearing Kylo Ren but dreaming about a pilot who had made his way into her heart.

Poe woke up first the next morning. He sat up and smiled. The first thing he saw was Rey resting peacefully in his bed. The only thing that could have made the moment better was if he had been in there with her. He moved quietly to get up and dressed. He hated to do it, but he knew he needed to wake her up.

"Rey," Poe said gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up." Rey breathed in deeply and let her eyelids flutter open to an astonishingly handsome face. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Poe said grinning. Rey stretched and smiled back noticing he was already dressed. "What time is it?" she said rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was groggy but felt rested for the first time in weeks. "Early, but I figured you would want to…" Poe trailed off. What he wanted to say was get out of his room before anyone noticed. The night had been completely innocent, but even one person seeing them would set off a wildfire of rumors in their tiny camp. "Avoid the walk of shame," Rey joked laughing. Poe laughed too. _How did she know what that was?_ "Something like that," he said cheerfully. Rey reluctantly removed herself from Poe's warm bed and excused herself to the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and smoothed her hair. She also took off the shirt he had loaned her then emerged from the bathroom. "Thank you for letting me borrow this," she said handing it back to him. She had not figured out a good excuse to keep it. "Keep it," Poe said. "It looked better on you." He was being honest, plus he knew she didn't have a whole lot of her own stuff, and he was happy to add to her collection. "Thank you," she said smiling warmly clutching it to her chest. "I'll just get going then." "Sure," Poe said opening the door and poking his head outside. "Coast clear," he smiled back at her. Rey eased by him to head out the door. "Thank you, Poe," she said reaching down and squeezing his hand. They both knew that it was for a lot of things. "You bet," she said squeezing her hand back. And with that she slipped away to head back to her own room. Poe kicked himself for not saying something more, like "Anytime," but the moment passed. He could only hope Rey realized she had an open invitation, and if she didn't, he would find the courage to tell her.

The rest of the day was a normal one. Meetings, repairs, gathering supplies. Rey had spent most of the day with General Organa, and Poe decided not to join them for lunch or dinner since they looked to be having intense conversations. He did wave to her from across the room at dinner and cursed himself for how excited her simple wave and smile back made it. He had it bad. He had a drink with some guys after dinner then retired to his room. He hadn't spoken to Rey since this morning. As the hour grew later and later, he came to terms with the fact that Rey would likely not be spending the night in his bed, so he got ready for bed himself. He was just about to turn in when he heard a soft knock on the door. _Thank God_ he thought to himself and couldn't help the smile that broke out across his face. He knew it was her. He opened the door and there she stood. His breath caught. Last night had been so unplanned, but tonight, not so much. Rey was dressed for bed in a lightweight pair of pants and the shirt he had loaned her from the night before. Her hair was down, which he had never seen before. She looked beautiful. "Hi," he said smiling. "Hi," she said back grateful that at least so far he seemed happy to see her. "I wasn't sure…" she trailed off. She was so nervous. She wasn't used to asking for help, plus she had pretty much zero experience with men, especially one as dashing as Poe Dameron. She swallowed her pride, and finally said, "if you were up for some company again?" Poe smiled. "Absolutely," he said without hesitating and opened the door wider for her to come in.

As soon as Poe closed the door, he moved to recreate his floor palette from the night before. "Please don't," Rey stopped him. Poe looked at her. "I can't let you sleep on the floor again," she said. "Rey," Poe started to argue, but she held up her hand. "And I'm certain you won't agree to let me." Poe loved that she knew that. "So we can argue about it, or we can share your bed, if you don't mind." She finished confidently, which both surprised and pleased them both. "Yes, ma'am," Poe said joking and gave her a silly salute. He couldn't believe his luck. He was so smitten with this woman. She was equally innocent and confident. It was disarming to say the least.

Rey smiled back as Poe clicked off the overhead light leaving the small lamp on. "After you," he said gesturing to the bed. Rey slipped off her shoes, lifted the blanket and climbed in next to the wall. She settled onto her side facing Poe. Poe mimicked her movements, clicking off the lamp before settling in beside her, on his side facing her. They weren't even touching, but it was one of the most intimate moments of this life. "Goodnight," Rey said softly. "Goodnight," he responded and they both easily drifted off to sleep.

Rey awoke first the next morning to the feel of a strong arm around her stomach. As she came to, she realized that she had turned over at some point during the night, and Poe was now spooning her. His nose was buried in her hair and arm was draped lazily but protectingly over her middle. Rey would be lying if she said she wasn't affected. In that moment she let herself wonder what it would be like to really be with Poe, as his girlfriend. To wake up in his bed as more than friends. It was a thought she was having a harder time pushing from her mind. She made no move to stir as she wanted this moment to last as long as possible. In about five minutes, she could no longer help herself and scooted back closer to him until her back was flush with his chest. She worried it would wake him, but if it did, he didn't let on. He simply clutched her a bit closer.

The truth was Poe had woken up a few moments after Rey and thought she was still sleeping. He has unconsciously ended up holding her during the night, but now awake and alert, he had no intention of letting go until he absolutely had to. Her hair was so silky and smelled like sunshine – was that possible? And the feel of holding her this way was too amazing to give up. She shifted slightly worrying Poe that the moment was about to pass them by but instead she settled back against him and he immediately tightened his hold. He felt like he could stay that way forever in that moment. They enjoyed snuggling with each other, pretending to be asleep for about five more minutes.

Just then he heard his doorknob rattle and froze. Had he locked the door? He couldn't remember. He usually left it open, but Finn had a habit of walking right in (as best friends often do), so he thought he had locked it. He and Rey weren't doing anything wrong, but he didn't want to be the reason rumors got started. He could feel Rey tense between his arm. When the door didn't open, he knew for sure he had locked it. Thank the heavens. "It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "It's locked." He felt her relax. Then came the knock. "Poe?" he heard Finn through the door. "Yeah buddy," Poe called back reluctantly releasing Rey to turn more toward the door and trying to sound tired. "I'm just getting up," he added. "Cool, man," Finn called back. "Pancakes in the mess hall. You better hurry. If Rey beats us there, she will eat them all." "10-4!" Poe shouted laughing. "Be there in 5."

He looked back over at Rey who had now turned toward him but was burying her face in the pillow. "Is my pancake obsession that well known?" she said blushing with embarrassment as she looked up at him with one eye smiling. She had never had pancakes before and did love them. Poe laughed lying back down beside her, "Guess your secret's out," he said pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. They lie staring at each other for about a minute until the tension was so thick you could have cut through it with a lightsaber. Poe had an overwhelming urge to kiss her, but he couldn't. Rey wanted nothing more than for Poe to kiss her, but she felt the same way he did. They weren't there yet. "I'd better get going before he comes back," Poe finally said. Rey simply nodded, and the reluctantly climbed out of bed. Poe headed out first to avoid suspicion with Rey following and joining him, Finn and Rose at breakfast. She loaded her plate with pancakes and syrup. "Told you," Finn said elbowing Poe. Poe laughed. "Told him what," Rey asked playing along. "That we had better beat you to breakfast or you would eat all the pancakes." They all laughed then moved about their day. It was a rhythm that would continue.

Rey and Poe's "more than" friendship continued to develop during the day and at night. She began showing up to his door earlier and earlier, and they had gone from simply sleeping to laughing and talking. Poe taught her how to play poker, and Rey dazzled him with a few of her

Force skills, the latest of which was folding a shirt with her mind. To saw he was in awe of her was putting it mildly. Night after night they became more comfortable with each other. Though their relationship remained innocent for now, they were both now comfortable touching each other. They would snuggle right up to each other at night, almost always with Poe spooning Rey. It was a gentle and natural relationship. They felt so comfortable around each other, and Kylo Ren had not visited Rey's thoughts even once since she had been sharing Poe's bed. It was getting harder for them both to not admit they weren't just friends.

About a week into what had become a wonderful arrangement in both of their minds, Rey was lying on Poe's chest as he stroked her hair gently. Something that had become another of their favorite positions. It was raining, and she could hear it pouring down on the thin roof above them. Rey loved listening to the combination of that and Poe's heartbeat through his shirt. She turned his necklace over in her fingers. She had asked about it a few nights ago and learned it had belonged to his mother. It was a beautiful story that Rey loved. Poe was so brave and charming but equally kind and sentimental. It was a dangerous combination, and whether she liked it or not, Rey was 100 percent in love with him. Poe had now let his hand slip from her hair and drew lazy lines across her back. It felt so good, Rey had to be careful to not let the Force allow her to start floating on air.

Suddenly Rey felt empowered and raised up slightly to look Poe in the eyes. She knew he liked her too. She could feel it. So why weren't they doing something about it? She knew the answer to that question, but at that moment didn't care. She searched his eyes for anything that would suggest what she was about to do next was a bad idea. Instead he raised his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and said gently cupped her face, "What are you thinking?" "That I want to kiss you," she answered honestly. It was true with every fiber of her being and also scary considering she'd never kissed anyone before.

"Rey," Poe started softly, and she could hear the rejection in his voice. Was she wrong? Maybe he didn't feel the same way after all. She had been so sure. But then he continued. "I want to kiss you so badly. It's all I think about…that is when I can even think straight when you are near me. I'm..." he trailed off but then decided to finish, "I'm in love with you." Rey's throat caught and happy tears sprung to her eyes. "Me too," she said bringing her forehead down to his. Poe took a deep breath. "But, I can't kiss you," he said. "Not yet." Rey lifted up and looked at him with sad eyes. "Why not?" she asked but expected the answer. "Finn," Poe said. "I know you two aren't like that, but at one point, I know he felt like I did. I could hear it in his voice. He's my best friend. I owe it to him to talk to him about this first. I should have had the courage to do it already. Rey nodded. "Damn your kind heart and integrity, Poe Dameron," she said teasingly. Poe smiled. "Believe me, I know," Poe said groaning. They both laughed, and then Rey settled back down onto Poe's chest. They fell asleep to the sound of the rain.

The next day as they left the mess hall, Poe trailed Finn to his room. "Hey buddy, got a second?" "Sure," Finn said. "What's up?" Poe let out a deep breath. "Well," Poe ran his hand through his hair. This conversation had started a lot smoother when he practiced it in the mirror earlier. Finn let Poe squirm for a few more seconds before he finally broke the ice. "Is this about Rey?" he asked causing Poe to look up in alarm, his eyes wide. "How did you know?" Poe asked. Finn laughed. "Oh I don't know - because you all are my best friends and because I have eyes." They both laughed now. "I'm sorry, man. I should have come to you sooner." "Nothing's happened yet," Poe continued, "but I want it to, so here I am." "If you are looking for my blessing, you have it," Finn said. Poe shook his head and couldn't believe his friend was letting him off this easy. He wasn't letting himself off that easy. "Finn, I need you to know that I didn't mean for this to happen. I know you had feelings for her." Finn laughed another clutching Poe's shoulder. "I know, bud," Finn answered. "Hits you like a hurricane that one." They both laughed at that. "That she does," Poe agreed. They continued to chuckle then Poe said, "so, really, you're okay?" Finn smiled assuringly. "Did or do I have feelings for Rey? Yes. But things are different now. Complicated. With Rose. With everything. And I see the way you look at each other. That's the real deal, man. I'm not going to stand in the way of that." Poe felt unworthy. To have the love of Rey plus a best friend like Finn was more than anyone could hope of. He was a lucky man. "I'm in love with her," Poe admitted feeling the need to say it. "I know," Finn said. And then before things got to sappy, "And if you hurt her, I'll break your legs." Poe laughed. "Noted." The friends chatted for a few more minutes until Poe could no longer stand it. He excused himself and went to find Rey.

He checked her room first since it wasn't far from Finn's, and when she wasn't there, he hoped she would be on the Falcon and not in a meeting somewhere. He raced to the Falcon, rushing inside and calling her name. "In here," she called from the cockpit. He headed toward her voice. She was standing on the far side of the room, tools in hand, trying to fix a piece of the windshield that had come loose. "This darn thing just won't stay put," Rey said when she sensed his presence in the room. "Where's Chewie?" Poe asked a bit out of breath from scurrying to find her. "He's with the General," Rey answered, "Why?" But before she could get the "why" completely out of her mouth, Poe had crossed the room and gently but firmly grabbed her face pulling her into a kiss. Rey yelped in happy surprise but returned the kiss best she could. He pulled back for a moment smiling then put his lips right back to hers. As the kiss intensified, Rey let the tools she had been holding slip onto the floor in a clang and wrapped her arms around Poe's neck. Rey had never kissed anyone before, but she quickly found a rhythm, and Poe was so amazing at it that it seemed to come naturally. They kissed until they were out of breath and Poe finally pulled away resting his forehead on hers while he caught his breath. "I take it you talked to Finn," Rey asked laughing. "Yep, all good," Poe said as he once again pressed his lips to hers. Rey laughed against his mouth. The kiss deepened again, and Poe backed them up slightly until the back of his knees hit one of the chairs. He sat down pulling Rey with him onto his lap. The buildup to this kiss had been a long time coming, and this was not just lust, it was love. They were in the midst of a full blown make out session when someone cleared their throat. "Ahem." Still tangled they pulled apart and turned their heads to look toward the noise. There stood General Organa, Chewie and BB-8. Guess it was the day for the big reveal all around. Rey scrambled off Poe's lap trying her best to straighten her disheveled clothing as Poe stood at attention and did the same. His curly hair was in complete disarray, and most of Rey's hair was hanging in her face having come loose from her bun. Both of them were flushed with plump lips. Leia gave them a knowing smile and Chewie and BB-8 both excused themselves to a different part of the ship not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry to interrupt," Leia began. "General," they said apologetically in unison both getting ready to apologize. But Leia simply raised her hand. "Please don't apologize. I was young once, you know." They all laughed at that, and Rey was grateful she had diffused the tension. They then went on to have a brief conversation about an upcoming mission – the reason Leia came looking for them. Leia kept it quick then excused herself calling good-bye to Chewie and BB-8. They both emerged from wherever they had been hiding following her out saying a quick goodnight to Poe and Rey. As soon as they were all off the ship, Rey and Poe looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry," Poe said honestly as he was sure Rey had been embarrassed to be caught that way by Leia. He knew how much she admired her. "Not your fault," Rey laughed assuring him she wasn't upset. "But maybe the Falcon isn't the best place to make out," she added. "Unless we lock the door." They both laughed again. Poe took a step toward her getting a serious look. "What?" she said tilting her head slightly. "I love you," he said matter-of-factly. "I love you too," she said back smiling. They kissed again, but this time sweetly, not letting themselves get carried away. There would be plenty of time for that. Poe helped Rey fix the windshield, and they then retired to his room, excited to spend the night in each other's arms as more than "just friends."

Reviews welcome – should I continue? Ramp up the rating?


	2. Chapter 2

It has been a few weeks since Poe and Rey had been officially dating, news that had spread quickly around the whole base after General Organa, Chewie and BB8 had walked in on them making out in the Falcon. No one was surprised. Most people had seen the two pilots making moon eyes at each other more than once, and despite them thinking Rey's nightly visits to Poe's room were private – it was apparently the worst kept secret on base. Rey and Poe had both chuckled when Finn and Rose alerted them that pretty much everyone knew before it was public knowledge. They didn't mind one bit that people saw and realized how much they cared about each other. They tried to keep their PDA to a minimum though.

Rey was casually chatting with her friend Jess at breakfast one morning while Poe and Finn were already out and about on a mission.

"Must feel pretty good to tame the most eligible bachelor in the Galaxy," Jess had said teasing Rey.

Rey simply laughed. "Well I don't really have a frame of reference, but he's pretty special," she responded. "I feel so lucky."

"What do you mean?" Jess probed.

"Poe is the first person I've ever dated," Rey responded. "I was alone pretty much my whole life before joining the resistance." She said it casually while paying attention to finishing her pancakes. It was the truth. She didn't expect pity for it. Jess was ready to drop the conversation, but another woman sitting nearby decided to chime in.

"Don't worry about that," the young woman who Rey seemed to recall was named Sarah said. "Poe has enough experience for the both of you."

The words stung Rey more than she expected. Of course, she was aware that someone like Poe must have dated lots of women before her, but she had just not really thought about it much in context to how little experience she had.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rey finally responded in a dry tone.

Jess then interjected. "Don't listen to Sarah," she said. "She's just jealous." It was clear the two women had an unpleasant history.

"I'm not jealous," Sarah said biting back. "You were talking loud enough for everyone to hear, so I didn't think it was a secret. I was simply noting that Poe knows his way around a woman. You're lucky to have him as a first boyfriend."

Rey knew she was blushing from head to toe and couldn't formulate a response. Jess, however, had had enough. She stood up and said, "Shut up, Sarah. No one cares about your opinion. Poe loves Rey." Sarah put her hands up in surrender.

"Fine, I'm not trying to start anything." And with that she stood up, cleared her tray and walked away.

Jess sat back down. "Rey, please don't listen to her. My guess is Poe rejected her at some point. Plus, she's just a miserable person."

Rey nodded her head and tried to laugh it off as they finished breakfast then went about the day. Still – it was a conversation she couldn't quite get out of her head.

It had been a busy day, and Rey finally found Poe back in his bunk that night.

"Hi, baby," he said when he opened the door after she knocked. "I missed you today," he followed up pulling her inside and kissing her properly. Rey laughed against his mouth.

"I missed you too," she said ruffling his hair.

"I'm beat and in need of some serious snuggle time," he said grinning as he then picked up and carried her light-weight frame toward the bed. She giggled as he began kissing her again pushing her down gently and following until they were lying side by side on the bed holding each other and kissing. This was almost a nightly occurrence.

As the kissing intensified Rey couldn't help but remember the conversation from this morning. She had, of course, known that Poe had probably had lots of experience with women before her, but she had never thought about it compared to her own lack of experience before. Poe must have been able to sense she was a bit off because he pulled back gazing into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Poe was aware that Rey did not have much experience in the relationship department, and he tried to be careful not to make her feel uncomfortable when they were alone together. He quickly tried to remember if he had just accidentally run his hand over her backside or something.

"It's silly," Rey said as she stared at his handsome face. He had never given her any reason to believe that he wanted anyone other than her or minded their physical relationship had been fairly tame to date, but the questions were bouncing around inside her head nonetheless.

"Tell me," he insisted. "You can tell or ask me anything."

Rey swallowed her pride and nerves and said, "Okay. How many girlfriends have you had?"

Poe looked a bit stunned then laughed. She loved it when he laughed. His whole face lit up. "Where's this coming from?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just curious," Rey responded leaving out the part about what Sarah had said to her this morning.

"Well, let me think," Poe answered now lying back on his back and holding up his fingers to start counting silently to himself. He was scrunching up his face and making a big production of trying to remember to the point that Rey didn't know whether to laugh at how ridiculous he was or cry that the number was high he couldn't remember it quickly. Finally he rolled back toward her and said… "That's easy. One. And, I'm looking at her."

Rey blinked a few times stunned by his answer. She smiled at the thought that she was the only person Poe had considered his girlfriend, but she knew now she had asked the wrong question.

She kissed him softly. "That's so sweet," she said, "but that's not what I meant to ask."

"Okay," Poe responded now even more suspicious. "What did you mean to ask?"

Rey thought for a moment then slowly asked, "How many women have you been…intimate with?" She chose the word _intimate_ carefully.

Poe took a deep breath as he realized what she was really asking him. "Where's this coming from?" he asked again. Rey knew he would get it out of her so she answered him honestly.

"Well, long story short," she said, "one of the other girls suggested that I shouldn't worry about my inexperience with men because you had plenty of experience for the both of us."

Poe huffed under his breath. How dare someone make his Rey feel so insecure.

"First," he started. "I'm so sorry someone said that to you. That's so stupid and cruel. Second, I'll tell you the number if you want. I'll always be honest with you. But – here's the truth I need you to hear first. I'm in love with you, Rey, and I don't remember anyone before you. The only thing I think about your lack of experience with physical relationships is how lucky I am to be the only man in this universe to kiss you."

Rey smiled widely. She should have known Poe would quickly diffuse her insecurity. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Thank you," she said. "That's all I needed to know."

"Good," Poe said.

"So, you're really okay with just kissing for now?" Rey asked suddenly timid again.

"Absolutely," said Poe. "You are in the driver's seat when it comes to that part of our relationship. I can wait as long as you need."

"How long?" Rey asked teasingly.

"Well, I hope not forever, but however long it takes," Poe answered firmly. "And if you want to be married first, I'm okay with that too."

"Married?" Rey said a bit shocked. "You think about marrying me, Poe Dameron," she followed up sweetly.

"You bet I do," Poe answered without skipping a beat. "Rey Dameron has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Rey smiled. It did sound pretty good.

"Thank you for being such an amazing boyfriend," she said.

"What can I say – you're easy to love," he responded.

With that the conversation was over. They kissed a little more then drifted off to sleep in each other's arms with Rey reaffirming Poe was the only man in the universe she ever wanted to be with.


End file.
